FC Barcelona News: 31 January 2016; Barca Edge Atletico Madrid, Barcelona B Extend Winning Run

FC Barcelona come back again in 2–1 victory over Atlético de Madrid | FC Barcelona
Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez both scored before halftime to turn around an early one-goal deficit and lead FC Barcelona to a 2–1 La Liga triumph over nine-man Atlético Madrid on Saturday afternoon at Camp Nou. Koke put the Colchoneros up in the 10th minute on Saturday, but Barça completed their comeback well before the visitors had not one, but two players dismissed.

Five talking points from the 2-1 defeat of Atlético | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona recovered spectacularly from a disappointing start, and the cause was boosted by two Atlético players quite unnecessarily getting themselves sent off. Punters in the bars of Barcelona and Madrid have plenty to talk about this evening.

Luis Enrique says there is still a long way to go in the league | FC Barcelona
Luis Enrique looked happy and more than a little relieved in the press room after his side’s hard fought 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid at Camp Nou. The Barça coach was also optimistic despite the blaugranes struggling for periods of a game that saw Atlético with just 9 men come the final whistle. "I leave with the positive aspects from the game, although there are always things to improve upon," admitted the man from Asturias.

Fatigued Barcelona prevail against Atletico Madrid - ESPN FC
It's extraordinarily rare for a team to beat their nearest rivals at the top of the league when the opposition end with nine men and those nine press the leaders -- and defending champions -- to within an inch of their lives.

94,990 spectators - record for the season | FC Barcelona
Saturday's 2-1 victory over Atlético Madrid saw the team take a vital three points in front of 94,990 fans, the best attendence of the season, surpassing the figures posted at the start of the campaign for the Gamper game against AS Roma and the Spanish Super Cup game against Athletic Club. Below you can consult the five best crowds of the season so far at Camp Nou.

Shades of Mourinho's Madrid: Simeone's Atleti loses its cool as Barca eases further clear - Goal.com
It was shades of Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid. Atletico plays very much in the image of Diego Simeone, whose ultra-competitive style as a player has been replicated in his coaching philosophy. Sometimes, however, his players cross the line — and that is what happened against Barcelona on Saturday.

With money for Neymar & Messi, Barca's MSN are here to stay - Goal.com
Bad news for defenses all over Europe. Barcelona is about to seal a sponsorship agreement with Qatar Airways for the 2016-17 season that wil allow the Catalan club to hand Neymar the new contract he has been promised. And with that, the world's finest forward line looks set to stay together and dominate for the foreseeable future.

Javier Mascherano explains importance of victory over Atlético | FC Barcelona
Mascherano may look unimposing at just over 5’8", but out on the pitch he plays like a man much bigger than that. In Saturday afternoon’s 2–1 victory over second-place Atlético Madrid, the defensive midfielder reprised his double role as defensive buttress and midfield liaison, valiantly marshalling FC Barcelona away from danger and into attack mode throughout the game.

Bartomeu rules out Nolito move to Barcelona - Goal.com
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says the club's "debt limitation" means there is no chance of Nolito moving to Camp Nou. Speculation has been rife that the Blaugrana will make a move for the Celta Vigo star but Bartomeu has poured cold water on those reports in an interview with Cadena Ser.

CE l’Hospitalet – FC Barcelona B: Three in a row (0-1) | FC Barcelona
Three wins out of three for Gerard López’s team in which they have kept three clean sheets. The latest victory, a 1-0 win away at Hospitalet, allows Barça B to move into midtable with 28 points. The game was decided by an 8th minute strike from Kaptoum - from that moment on, a disciplined defensive performance from the blaugranes guaranteed all three points for the away side.

Borja López signs for FC Barcelona B | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona have signed Borja López to the B team until 30 June 2018. The player from Asturias in the north of Spain has passed his medical exam and will be joining normal training with the rest of the squad on Monday.

From Messi to Seung-Woo Lee: How La Masia lost its South American stars - Goal.com
As part of the plans presented earlier this month, Albert Soler leads the team as director of professional sports, assisted by director of football Raul Sanllehi and technical secretaries Jordi Roura and Aureli Altimira, who will be charged with complying to FIFA's strict rules in an attempt to combat the trafficking of prospects in the current global game.

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La Liga News: 31 January 2016; Villarreal Continue Unbeaten Run, Inter to Sign Sevilla's Even Banega

Independiente reject Madrid bid for Benitez | FourFourTwo
Argentina Primera Division outfit Independiente revealed they have rejected an offer by Real Madrid for promising youngster Martin Benitez. The 21-year-old has established himself as a key figure in Mauricio Pellegrino's squad since making his senior debut in 2011 after graduating from the club's academy.

Why the footballing world should be thankful for Atletico Madrid - Article - TSN
Atletico are a wonderful team still searching for global respect. They do not have world icons whose shirts kids wear all around the world. They do not have players named in FIFA’s world XI’s at glamorous award shows. They simply win a lot of close football matches by knowing that they have more strengths without the ball than with it.

Shades of Mourinho's Madrid: Simeone's Atleti loses its cool as Barca eases further clear - Goal.com
It was shades of Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid. Atletico plays very much in the image of Diego Simeone, whose ultra-competitive style as a player has been replicated in his coaching philosophy. Sometimes, however, his players cross the line — and that is what happened against Barcelona on Saturday.

Diego Simeone happy with Atletico despite loss at Barcelona - ESPN FC
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said he was proud of his team's performance as they were beaten 2-1 at Barcelona after having two players sent off. Atletico stunned the Camp Nou when Koke fired the visitors ahead on just 10 minutes, but goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez turned the game around by half-time.

Spot-on Soriano helps Villarreal return to winning ways - ESPN FC
Bruno Soriano's second-half penalty saw Villarreal beat Granada 1-0 and return to winning ways. The captain converted from the spot in the 55th minute after Jean-Sylvain Babin had fouled Roberto Soldado to give Marcelino's side a first win in three matches.

Strong first half sees Real Sociedad beat Real Betis - ESPN FC
Real Sociedad recorded only their second win in nine games to climb above Real Betis in the Primera Division table. Firm first-half headers from Xabi Prieto and Inigo Martinez put Sociedad in control and they ran out 2-1 winners, with Betis' solitary response coming from their top scorer Ruben Castro.

Inter wait for Banega | Football Italia
Inter have reportedly agreed a €3m per year contract with Sevilla’s Ever Banega, but he won’t arrive until summer. The Argentinian midfielder will be a free agent in the summer, and it was reported this week that the Nerazzurri had agreed a contract.

Roque Santa Cruz on mark as Malaga claim Eibar scalp - ESPN FC
Malaga moved into the top half of the Primera Division after picking up a hard-fought 2-1 victory at in-form Eibar. Juanpi broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time to give the visitors the edge in an end-to-end encounter and Roque Santa Cruz sealed the points by striking at the end of the second half.

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Brilliant All-Action Lionel Messi Leads Barcelona Past Atletico Madrid

The Argentine wizard was everywhere as Barcelona went on to a key win.

Lionel Messi is not having his best season in terms of goalscoring, in large part due to an injury that sidelined him and interrupted his rhythm. But for the five-time Ballon D'Or winner, it's not just about scoring.

The man proved it again tonight against Atletico Madrid in a match that pitted the league leaders against the team closest to them. Yeah, he scored a vital goal yet again, but he also created chances and made defensive contributions at a higher rate than even your average forward, never mind one that is known for bagging an astronomical amount of goals.

Every time the star player was back defending, the team seemed to get a morale boost. Certainly, the crowd cheered wildly as they saw their leader unselfishly do his share of the dirty work.

What's also amazing is his goals all seem to come when the Blaugrana need it most. Down a goal against possibly the best defense in Europe, the timing of the strike couldn't have been better. Yes, it was set up by amazing work from Neymar and Jordi Alba, but it happens too often to be a coincidence or to not give Leo proper credit..

In fact, out of the top 7 forwards by reputation in La Liga, Messi is the one who tends to score or assist most often when his team is behind.

Percentage of goals+assists when team is losing:

Messi: 17

Neymar: 11

Bale: 9

Suárez: 5

Benzema: 5

Griezmann: 5

Cristiano: 0

— BARÇA NÚMEROS (@barcanumbers) January 30, 2016

He's also second when it comes to getting a goal when his team is drawing. The only one ahead of him is Antoine Griezmann, who tends to get his goals when Atleti's powerful defense has the game at 0-0.

It's not just about goals, and even when it comes to goals, it's not just about the sheer number of goals you score. Messi proved it again today.

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La Liga: FC Barcelona 2-1 Atletico Madrid: Match Review

A recap of the action from Barcelona comeback win against Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona notched another hugely important scrappy win, this time against their (currently) closest rivals for the 2015-16 La Liga title. Atletico Madrid had gotten off to a better start, scoring first through Koke, but Barcelona clawed back with goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. The visitors could’ve had a better chance of a second half comeback had it not been for their extremely aggressive play which led to two red cards.

	Barcelona	Atletico Madrid
Possession	70%	30%
Total Shots	10	7
Shots on Target	4	4
Corners	8	6
Fouls	7	18
Offsides	3	2
Yellow Cards	0	5
Red Cards	0	2

The match started with impressive pressure from Atletico players all over the pitch. The visitors were extremely quick to close down every inch of space and wasted no time in sending at least one player right into the face of the Barcelona ball-carrier. While this was a largely expected tactic, it seemed to catch Barcelona off guard as Atletico quickly managed to get plenty of zone-time and threatened through a long range shot and two corner kicks. Barça defended the two corner kicks with relative ease, but the Catalan defense needed plenty of help from goalkeeper Claudio Bravo on Saúl Ñíguez's left-footed drive that seemed destined for the far post.

Barcelona slowly started their possession game going, but Atletico remained the better and more dangerous team on the pitch. And while Barcelona still seemed to be searching for their attacking identity, Atletico's attacks looked fluid and deadly. That coupled with the recently found inability to defend in first halves could only lead to one thing - an early Atletico Madrid lead. Juanfran played though Saul who jumped past the slipping Jordi Alba and had plenty of time to find a receiver for his cross. His pass found the wide open Koke and with no defender in sight the midfielder could pick his spot and send the visitors in front.

While Atletico's press eased up at times, Barcelona continued to struggle with the ball, with the distribution from the back suffering the most. The hosts didn't produce their first good looking attacking move until the 17th minute when Messi found Alves who half-volleyed a great ball on goal, but a diving José Giménez prevented what seemed a certain goal. Atletico found it much easier to threaten in the opening 20 minutes, something Augusto Fernández showed nicely on his 20-yard shot as defenders were seen backing off so that the Argentinian could send a shot just wide of goal.

But the tides were changing and Barcelona were from one minute to the next able to threaten more and create better chances, a performance that peaked in the final third of the first half. First, in the 29th minute Iniesta played a one-two with an Atletico defender before sending a perfect pass to the middle to Suarez, who wasted no time in sending a good shot on goal, but Jan Oblak produced an even better save.

The very next minute Barça showcased some brilliant ball movement in attack, first attacking down the right side and later changing sides. There Neymar sent a through ball to Jordi Alba who didn't panic. He waited for an opening to get the ball to Messi who was in a good position and made no mistake in tying the game. Atletico reacted well to conceding, launching a quick attack from the ensuing kickoff, but Barcelona managed to fend off the pressure and just eight minutes later Barcelona were in front. Dani Alves sent a perfect long-ball over the defense to Suarez who was able to control the ball and beat Oblak.

Frustration started to brew on Atletico's side and the persistent fouling, which was ever-present, started to become more and more brutal. And even though Alberto Undiano Mallenco was slow to reach for the card, Atletico had three yellow cards after 42 minutes. He probably should've shown a couple more because maybe then Filipe Luis wouldn't have "attempted" an absolutely disgusting studs-to-the-knee challenge on Messi just before the halftime whistle to rightfully get shown a direct red card. Luckily, the arguably best player in the world was able to continue.

Without a left-back, Diego Simeone was forced to make a halftime substitution, leaving midfielder Gabi on the bench and replaced him with Jesús Gámez. Despite playing a man down, Atletico continued to be very dangerous as Barcelona often seemed content to allow the visitors play while the Catalans would wait for their chances on the counter attack. It was a plan similar to some games Barcelona would wish to quickly forget, like Valencia and Deportivo La Coruña.

In the 56th minute this "plan" almost came to bite them as twice Yannick Carrasco made things happen for Atletico. First, he slalomed past three Barcelona defenders before Gerard Pique dispossessed him. Moments later, Carrasco was causing havoc on the right side, sending a perfect cross in front of goal where from in close Antoine Griezmann acrobatically tipped the ball on goal but somehow didn't beat Bravo.

Atletico continued to threaten and it appeared that at times panic started to seep into the Barcelona defenders. Possession was all too often lost too easily, clearances were poor and positioning was often off the mark. Still, Bravo didn't have to make many saves during this stretch. Barcelona rarely attacked in the opening 20 minutes but when they did they were able to threaten. Messi and company managed to outplay the defense in the 65th minute, but Suarez was unable to get a shot off, but he retained possession. And while running with the ball away from goal to the corner flag he was mowed down by Diego Godin, earning himself a second yellow card and an early bath.

The long stoppage saw Barcelona replace Ivan Rakitić with birthday-boy and former Atletico-man Arda Turan. Simeone had to make a change to (again) restock his defensive line, this time sacrificing Griezmann to put Stefan Savić on the pitch. After the restart, Messi immediately tried his luck from the tough-angle free kick, but Oblak was ready for it.

Simeone was also forced into his third change, in the 76th minute, when Fernández picked up what appeared to be a left knee injury. He was replaced by Thomas Partey. Two minutes later, Barcelona threatened again, this time through Arda, who received a good ball from Sergio Busquets, but his far post shot just missed the target. Another two minutes later Alves missed from distance.

In the 82nd minute, Barcelona made their second change, replacing Alves with Sergi Roberto. One would've expected that Barcelona, playing with a two-man advantage, would mean a continuous onslaught on goal, but that was not the case. Barcelona were attacking, but with little to no urgency and there was always a pass or two too many. This resulted in a heart-pounding final stretch of the game as just one lucky bounce or good play would've left Barcelona without a win. But that did not happen and Barcelona were able to leave the pitch with three points and in sole possession of the La Liga lead.

Roll Call

Roll Call Info
Total comments	589
Total commenters	61
Commenter list	0nk0, Anders Thomassen, Anirudh_Kul, AraibKarim, Ashraf Arefin, Ayush Tiwari, AzBlaug, BDBarca, Barca4ever, BarcaBarca, BarcaGH, Barca_24, Delano Heerkens, DerkSensei, DevilWithin, Four33, Geniussssssss, Himanshu96, Isuzu, JordanBelfort, KiwiBarca, MayteeA, Mufti Yoga, NamesTroyResideInTheDMV, Piyush_, Ragnar_Lothbrok, Rajesh1101s, Renato Goncalves, Romario10, SafaaLeon62, ShantanuC, Staralfur, Steven Cordero, TheGodfather21, VarmaFCB, agar2515, avyator, bjorg18, bondslegend, craig00000, cule-since-1992, dewoul, dschslava, el_uruguayo, feeya7, footballfordoze, golazzooo, henderick.mitchell, istiaque, kuni95, llamas612, michael.olivier, mightyobie, navjot4664, nosrejadorable, saltylures, semperty, sid_barca, syredeathtrooper, uday kakoti, zbtcynhm447
Story URLs	http://ift.tt/1VxeCSl

#	Commenter	# Comments
1	Delano Heerkens	56
2	bondslegend	52
3	JordanBelfort	47
4	MayteeA	35
5	syredeathtrooper	34
6	Piyush_	29
7	NamesTroyResideInTheDMV	26
8	feeya7	26
9	KiwiBarca	23
10	footballfordoze	23
11	Steven Cordero	21
12	avyator	18
13	Anirudh_Kul	16
14	BarcaGH	12
15	dewoul	12
16	AzBlaug	11
17	craig00000	10
18	BarcaBarca	10
19	BDBarca	9
20	Anders Thomassen	8
21	henderick.mitchell	7
22	Ashraf Arefin	6
23	agar2515	6
24	mightyobie	6
25	Rajesh1101s	6
26	ShantanuC	6
27	el_uruguayo	5
28	TheGodfather21	5
29	AraibKarim	5
30	uday kakoti	4
31	DerkSensei	4
32	kuni95	4
33	Isuzu	4
34	llamas612	3
35	sid_barca	3
36	cule-since-1992	3
37	Mufti Yoga	3
38	Romario10	2
39	0nk0	2
40	Barca4ever	2
41	semperty	2
42	DevilWithin	2
43	navjot4664	2
44	VarmaFCB	2
45	Himanshu96	1
46	Staralfur	1
47	michael.olivier	1
48	Four33	1
49	nosrejadorable	1
50	istiaque	1
51	Geniussssssss	1
52	SafaaLeon62	1
53	zbtcynhm447	1
54	Ragnar_Lothbrok	1
55	saltylures	1
56	dschslava	1
57	Renato Goncalves	1
58	golazzooo	1
59	Ayush Tiwari	1
60	bjorg18	1
61	Barca_24	1

# Recs	Commenter	Comment Link
10	AzBlaug	Nobody gives a fuck about Ronaldo. No offense.
5	footballfordoze	If ths ref is legit
4	Steven Cordero	Couldn't help but post this. Haha.
4	syredeathtrooper	Don't know if anyone noticed
3	avyator	I hope that fucking cunt dies, judge me I don't give a fuck, he's a despicable piece of shit. Fuck him.
3	syredeathtrooper	DONT YOU DARE EVEN TAKE A PEEP!
3	Renato Goncalves	We've corrected the error
2	AzBlaug	I'm so glad seeing Lucho standing up for his players (as he always does), his reaction to that awful foul on Messi was great!
2	feeya7	THERE IT IS!
2	AraibKarim	his stream is 10mints behind i guess
2	footballfordoze	I didn't even care about the red card and felipe luis at that moment
2	craig00000	Messi was so lucky then
2	Rajesh1101s	Man...you would've killed it as a medieval torturer
2	cule-since-1992	Espanyol, Bilbao and now ATM
2	Delano Heerkens	I've never seen this much cussing in a comment EVER hahahahaaaaaaa
2	Piyush_	Okay, can we just appreciate Alves' assist, wonderful pass from him, over the midfield.
2	BDBarca	Mother Chod Felepeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
2	footballfordoze	I DON'T FUCKING CARE ABOUT RED CARD
2	Rajesh1101s	Great...just fucking great!
2	avyator	You have to pay for my heart bypass surgery now...
1	Piyush_	He has run more than any of our players, I am guessing.
1	JordanBelfort	it's the first time this referee hasn't cheated on us (timestamp: 70 min)
1	Delano Heerkens	He's been great for 45minutes
1	Piyush_	exactly, he doesn't go down that easily, and when I saw him rolling around in pain like that
1	ShantanuC	Easy with your words there tiger.
1	syredeathtrooper	Great response from the team
1	Delano Heerkens	Yes..3 points and that's important
1	BarcaBarca	just knock him out?
1	Isuzu	Surviving through out January? lol
1	syredeathtrooper	So glad we had Pique
1	bondslegend	I'm actually proud of Barca
1	el_uruguayo	If that's how Godin treats his friends..
1	Steven Cordero	The sad part is, Atletico don't NEED to play like this. They have a great squad and should be able to have more confidence in themselves to play a mostly clean game.
1	bondslegend	Can't say he doesn't deserve it
1	Mufti Yoga	Yeah
1	footballfordoze	lol
1	Piyush_	The difference in intensities in the first 20 minutes of the game was such that
1	dewoul	Messi is impressing defensively
1	KiwiBarca	Yup very committed today
1	Piyush_	Dani has been good taking ball away from Carrasco.
1	bondslegend	TBF you have to run more with 10 men
1	Ashraf Arefin	Felipe Luis was possessed from the beginnng!
1	BDBarca	I , for once, could not care less about the fucking success that Semeone has enjoyed, nor the fact that he is from Argentine...I fucking despise him...
1	BarcaBarca	I'd like to think I'm level headed in most situations.. BUT
1	henderick.mitchell	I am happy about the energy of the fans at Camp Nou after the initial goal conceded...
1	el_uruguayo	Nice vision from him.
1	Steven Cordero	I think that was the collective reaction of all Cules.
1	uday kakoti	Draculaaaaaaaaaaa
1	BarcaGH	leo looks very active
1	NamesTroyResideInTheDMV	Dani and Luis!!!!!!!!!
1	JordanBelfort	suarez 2:1, yeahhh, reminds me of the goal against real madrid
1	kuni95	Love seeing the faces of the Atletico players/Simeone
1	DerkSensei	there's only so much parking the bus you can do haha
1	JordanBelfort	great to see MSN now also defending
1	henderick.mitchell	That's right camp nou!!
1	TheGodfather21	Happy Birthday to me!! (and Turan too.. )
1	craig00000	Correct
1	BarcaBarca	I'm happy as fuck that ATM scored early.
1	avyator	Bravo just turned into MATS
1	KiwiBarca	We are Barca
1	BarcaBarca	a little bit of MATS is a good thing lol.
1	AraibKarim	and people want to sell Alves!
1	Delano Heerkens	Rakitic has been great in the last 20 minutes
1	syredeathtrooper	Fucking son of a bich!
1	Steven Cordero	Please let Messi be okay
1	dschslava	lol Lucho's reaction
1	JordanBelfort	athletic bilbao, athletico madrid, espanyol barcelona and real madrid are nothing else but THUGS
1	BarcaBarca	I have plenty of respect for Simeone..
1	syredeathtrooper	Referee should've flashed 4 red cards at that.
1	Anirudh_Kul	Haha fuck you you fucking cunt
1	ShantanuC	Goodbye motherfucker.
1	syredeathtrooper	The entire midfield started getting involved in the game
1	AzBlaug	Rakitic has been great.
1	Delano Heerkens	True
1	MayteeA	He's a great coach
1	Steven Cordero	Is Neymar the most fouled player in La Liga again this season?
1	BarcaBarca	yea, he lets them instead of instructing them not to.

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Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid, 2015/16 La Liga: Final Score 2-1 as Barça fight to comeback win

Barcelona may have taken a giant step towards the La Liga title with a great 2-1 comeback win over Atlético Madrid at Camp Nou, thanks to goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, with Koke scoring for the visitors. In what felt like a league final, the Blaugrana played a great match and sustained Atleti's toughness en route to a giant victory. There are still 17 matches to go for the Catalan giants, but they are certainly heavy championship favorites after today.

FIRST HALF

As expected, the match started with Atlético bringing pressure to Barça's buildup play, troubling the hosts' passing and recovering the ball close to the box. The Colchoneros forced Claudio Bravo to a fantastic save, and their intensity brought them a goal. A cross by Saúl found an open Koke, who finished the play with a pretty shot to score the opener.

Barça had problems with creativity after the goal, suffering to break through the Rojiblancos barrier in front of the box. But the Blaugrana slowly improved, and showed patience to find good chances. They did, and capitalized. Thirty minutes in, a fantastic passing sequence involving every midfield and attacking Barça player ended up with a beautiful grounded cross by Alba for a first-touch shot by Messi and the game-tying goal.

Eight minutes later, a sensational long pass by Dani Alves found Luis Suárez, who used his body to shield the defender and shot between the keeper's legs to give Barça the lead.

The game got nervous towards halftime, and Filipe Luís crossed the line with a violent kick to Messi's knee, which got the Atleti full-back a red card. Heading into the locker room, Barça had the lead and the number advantage on the pitch.

SECOND HALF

With ten men on the field, Atleti did not get any more defensive. They went up the field and looked for their equalizer. Ferreira Carrasco and his runs created hell on Barça's backline, and one of his crosses found Antoine Griezmann, who came close to tying the game, but Bravo once again saved the day with a ridiculous goal-stopping move with his left foot.

Atleti looked more and more dangerous, but one giant mistake by the team's most experienced player ruined their afternoon. Captain Diego Godín made an unnecessary, hard tackle on Suárez that earned the Colchonero defender a second booking and a red card. Being down to only nine men at Camp Nou was just too much for Diego Simeone's soldiers to handle.

With plenty of space on the pitch to work with, Barça had the ball for pretty much all of the remaining minutes, and patiently waited to find a third goal. It didn't come, but they kept the ball so the visitors wouldn't have any scoring opportunities.

In the end, a fantastic comeback victory, the isolated lead at the top of the table, and a huge step towards a championship. Perfect afternoon.

Barcelona: Bravo; Alves (Roberto), Piqué, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic (Arda), Iniesta; Messi, Suárez, Neymar

Goals: Messi (30'), Suárez (38')

Atlético Madrid: Oblak; Juanfran, Godín, Giménez, Luís; Gabi (Gámez), Augusto (Thomas); Saúl, Koke, Carrasco; Griezmann (Savic)

Goals: Koke (10')

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Filipe Luis sent off for this despicable challenge on Lionel Messi

Barcelona are up a goal and now a man on Atletico Madrid after Brazilian defender, Filipe Luis, was sent off for this ridiculously bad tackle on Lionel Messi. Frustrated by blowing a lead to the Blaugrana, the Atleti player's rough play has finally cost them.

E niente, Filipe Luis perde la testa e si fa espellere. Gara chiusa, mi sa. http://pic.twitter.com/kfZ9KGbrsw

— Sciabolata Morbida (@sciabolatablog) January 30, 2016

A high challenge and no attempt at the ball is a clear intent to hurt a player. A red card was rightfully shown. Thankfully Lionel Messi escaped serious injuty.

LPQTP @filipeluis :))) http://pic.twitter.com/oJZrVO9mRi

— Jennifer.❕ (@JenniferVasqez) January 30, 2016

There's just no room for that in the sport. Luis should receive a lengthy ban.

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This Luis Suarez goal against Atletico is why Barcelona are unstoppable

Credit: user penguin672232 on r/Soccer

Barcelona's attack is impossible to stop. Dani Alves is a right back and should not be able to make passes like this. Then the finish by Luis Suarez is a clinical as ever. Good luck trying to stop that...

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Lionel Messi finishes clinically to pull Barcelona level with Atletico Madrid

Barcelona are level with Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou! Guess who? It's Lionel Messi with the equalizer after finishing with a first time shot!

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La Liga: FC Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid: Confirmed Lineups & Live Game Thread

Live game thread with confirmed lineups for Barcelona's La Liga clash with Atletico.

La Liga: Jornada 22
Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
Kickoff: 30 January 2016, 16:00 CET
Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco

Lineups:

Barcelona (4-3-3): 13. Claudio Bravo | 6. Dani Alves, 3. Gerard Pique, 14. Javier Mascherano, 18. Jordi Alba | 5. Sergio Busquets, 4. Ivan Rakitic, 8. Andres Iniesta | 10. Lionel Messi, 9. Luis Suarez, 11. Neymar Jr.

Substitutes: 1. Marc-Andre ter Stegen, 23. Thomas Vermaelen, 22. Aleix Vidal, 24. Jeremy Mathieu, 20. Sergi Roberto, 7. Arda Turan, 17. Munir El Haddadi

Coach: Luis Enrique

******

Atletico Madrid: 13. Jan Oblak | 20. Juanfran, 24. José Giménez, 2. Diego Godín, 3. Filipe Luís | 12. Augusto Fernández, 13. Gabi | 17. Saúl Ñíguez, 6. Koke, 21. Yannick Carrasco | 7. Antoine Griezmann

Substitutes: TBA

Coach: Diego Simeone

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Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid, 2015/16 La Liga: Predict the Score

Styles make fights.

This simple sentence actually means a lot in the fighting world. All of the great boxing matches are surrounded by this question: which style of fighting will come out on top? Some are ferocious strikers who can knock you out in just a few rounds with reckless abandon. Others like to take a methodical approach. They might no be as great at striking as their opponent, but have great defending, strategy and will take the fight to distance, doing enough to win even with less firepower.

Styles also make fights in football, especially when it comes to the La Liga match between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid on Saturday. The Blaugrana have perhaps the most ferocious striking force in the world with the 'MSN' trio, and can knock out any opponent with their blitzling style and the second best scoring offense in the league. The Colchoneros like to take punches, defend and beat their opponents with less offense and more strategy, taking the big games to distance with the best defense in Spain.

This has become a great rivalry over the last few years, and every fight has a new story. How is this one going to end? That's where we turn to you, Blaugranes! Use the comment section below and share your prediction of the final score of today's game. Good luck!

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FC Barcelona News: 30 January 2016; Jordi Alba Back in Match Squad, Everything Ready for Big Game

Alba and Arda included in squad to face Atlético Madrid | FC Barcelona
Luis Enrique named his squad on Saturday morning for the Liga match later in the day at home to Atlético Madrid at 4.00pm CET. Jordi Alba has been given medical clearance and is included in the list of 18, as is Arda Turan, who missed the last game with flu but is now back to full health and ready to take on his former club.

Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid now biggest game in La Liga - ESPN FC
Atlético vs. Barcelona is probably beyond that now: it might even have become the most decisive, too. Gracia and salero were the words Cerezo used, words that don't translate brilliantly, and there is something of the backhanded compliment about them. Fun, amusing, attractive, charming -- all of which tends to mean these games are a bit of a sideshow at heart.

Five talking points for Saturday's top-of-the-table clash with Atlético | FC Barcelona
Having conceded just eight goals in 21 league games to date, Atlético Madrid has the best defensive record in Europe. They’ve kept a staggering 14 clean sheets, and not since December 20 against Malaga, 453 minutes of football ago, have they conceded a single goal.

Atletico Madrid must stop Barcelona trident - Diego Simeone - ESPN FC
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone says containing Barcelona's superstar trio will be key to Saturday's huge top of La Liga game at the Camp Nou. Both Barca and Atletico go into the game locked together on 48 points, although Luis Enrique's men have played a game less, with Real Madrid four points back in third place.

Andrés Iniesta intent on reaching another final | FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona on Friday found out their semi-final opponents in the Copa del Rey as it will be Valencia who stand in the way of a third consecutive appearance in the final of the competition. “We are just a step away from a place in the final and we want to keep doing things right.”

Match Preview: FC Barcelona v Atlético Madrid | FC Barcelona
It’s first against second in La Liga this weekend at Camp Nou with Luis Enrique’s team taking on Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid on Saturday at 4.00pm CET. Barça lead the table on goal difference from the Madrid club but with an all-important game in hand. The encounter this weekend gives them the perfect opportunity to put some distance between themselves and one of their main rivals for the league title.

Atlético Madrid game not definitive claims Luis Enrique | FC Barcelona
Speaking the day before Barça entertain Atlético in a crucial Liga fixture and moments after learning that his side will face Valencia in the Copa del Rey semi-final, Luis Enrique preferred to focus on the first of the two matches in his Friday press conference.

Neymar deal closer as Qatar Airways reopen Barca negotiations - Goal.com
A Barca delegation led by vice-president Manel Arroyo and commercial director Francesc Calvo flew out to Doha on Wednesday and met with airline officials to reopen talks over a shirt sponshorship agreement for next season after initial negotiations ended in a stalemate back in October.

Simeone lauds 'rare qualities' of ego-free MSN ahead of Barcelona clash - Goal.com
Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone believes humility and a lack of ego are both key to the success of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar in Barcelona's attack. Simeone's side will be tasked with stopping the 'MSN' trio at Camp Nou on Saturday in a top-of-the-table clash that could prove crucial in shaping La Liga's title race.

Who should Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico and Valencia sign before Monday? - Liga 2015-2016 - Football - Eurosport British
Barca really need a new major sponsor more than a player. How can the most successful club in European football in the last decade be just months from finishing their shirt sponsorship deal with no new contract on the table? If they were to dip into the market however it should be for a defender.

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La Liga News: 30 January 2016; Real Madrid Close to Monster Kit Deal, Madrid Duo Transfer Ban Suspended

RUMORS: Real Madrid close in on €1.4 BILLION deal - Goal.com
Marca claims that Madrid is ‘a step away’ from signing a new 10-year contract with its current supplier, and will receive $150 million per season. The deal will be the biggest kit sponsorship deal in football history. As it stands, Manchester United holds that record with the 10-year deal the club signed with Adidas in 2015, which is worth $107 million per season.

Real Madrid's record shirt deal is 'pure speculation' say adidas | Sky Sports
A report in Spanish daily Marca says Real have agreed a contract with the German company worth £104m a year for 10 years, beating the previous record deal of £75m, over 11 years, which Manchester United struck with adidas in 2014.

Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid very similar to Rafa Benitez - ESPN FC
The last time Real Madrid played against Espanyol, the squad and their coach at the time, Rafael Benitez, aimed to keep their momentum in La Liga right after a 5-0 thrashing of Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu. Of course, that happened more than four months ago. The subsequent 6-0 win at the Cornella stadium now seems like a memory from the distant past.

FIFA temporarily lifts Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid bans - ESPN FC
FIFA has temporarily suspended the transfer bans imposed two weeks ago on Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid while world football's governing body investigates the club appeals regarding the signing of youth players. The FIFA appeals committee informed the clubs of the news on Friday.

Siqueira goes, Oliver stays? | Football Espana
Newcastle United are reportedly close to signing Atletico Madrid left-back Guilherme Siqueira on loan, while Oliver Torres is going nowhere. According to Sky Sports, the 29-year-old is set to join the Magpies until the end of the season as they seek competition for Paul Dummett, with Massadio Haidara nursing a long-term injury.

Espanyol reshuffle goalkeeping options | Football Espana
Espanyol have signed Watford goalkeeper Giedrius Arlauskis on loan until the end of the season, while Francesco Bardi has returned to Italy with Frosinone. The Lithuanian, 28, arrives as cover for Pau Lopez after making only one substitute appearance in the Premier League for the Hornets, despite only joining the club last summer.

Montoya lands for Betis | Football Italia
Martin Montoya’s Inter experience is at an end, as he landed in Spain to sign for Real Betis Seville. The 24-year-old arrived from Barcelona over the summer, but has made only three Serie A appearances. He therefore interrupts the season-long loan early and will join Real Betis instead.

Mosquera rejects Valencia move | Football Espana
Deportivo La Coruna midfielder Pedro Mosquera has reportedly turned down a move to Valencia and could now sign a new contract at Riazor. The 27-year-old seemed to be heading for Los Che after they agreed to pay his €4m release clause, but Marca claims he is no longer pursuing the switch and will instead negotiate an extension with the Galicians.

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FC Barcelona squad named for Round 22 of La Liga against Atlético Madrid

The next Barcelona match is upon us! The Blaugrana open up the Camp Nou doors this Saturday to welcome Atlético Madrid for what could very well be the title-deciding fixture in this season of La Liga. And coach Luis Enrique has named the squad for the game.

There are no surprises on the list, but there are certainly good news for the Catalan giants: Jordi Alba, who missed the last three games with a hamstring injury, and Arda Turan, out of the last match with fever, both return to the squad. It's a special match for the Turkish midfielder, who ends the first month of his Barça career against his former team. Another injury doubt, Neymar Jr., is also on the list.

Marc Bartra, Jordi Masip, Sandro Ramírez and Adriano Correia did not make the squad per coach's decision. These are the eighteen men called up by Enrique for Saturday:

Goalkeepers: 1. Marc-André ter Stegen, 13. Claudio Bravo

Defenders: 3. Gerard Piqué, 6. Dani Alves, 14. Javier Mascherano, 18. Jordi Alba, 22. Aleix Vidal, 23. Thomas Vermaelen, 24. Jérémy Mathieu

Midfielders: 4. Ivan Rakitic, 5. Sergio Busquets, 7. Arda Turan, 8. Andrés Iniesta, 20. Sergi Roberto

Forwards: 9. Luis Suárez, 10. Lionel Messi, 11. Neymar Jr., 17. Munir El-Haddadi

Projected Starting Lineup (4-3-3):

Bravo; Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Messi, Suárez, Neymar

The match starts at 16:00 CET, and you can join us to follow and comment all the action.

VISCA EL BARÇA!

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Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid, 2016 Live Stream: Time, TV schedule, How to Watch La Liga online

Very few times a football match in the 22nd round of the league season is considered a title decider. After that match, there are sixteen more to go, and those three points don't really look huge for the outcome of the league.

But sometimes, a win means more than three points in a huge match. This is the case for Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, who face off on Saturday afternoon in Catalunya in what can be easily considered a championship decider.

Both teams are tied on points at the top of the table. The Blaugrana are first on goal difference, and still have one more game to go. Meaning that, if they win on Saturday and the extra match to play, they'll open up a six-point lead over the Colchoneros. With Real Madrid still looking for some consistency, it's not crazy to say Barça will take a giant step towards back-to-back league trophies.

The 'MSN' trio and their partners carry a spectacular 25-game unbeaten streak, the third longest in club history. Atlético will certainly be the biggest obstacle on the road to the record-breaking 29th victory, and the in-form Antoine Griezmann feeding off Diego Simeone's fantastic defensive system present a giant challenge in this title-deciding fixture. This Saturday, Barça vs Atleti might just be as big as El Clásico. What does that mean? You should not miss it. It's definitely must-watch television.

Match Info

Date/Time: Saturday, January 30th, 2016, 4pm local time (CET), 3pm BST (UK), 10am ET, 7am PT (US), 8:30pm IST (India)

Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco

How to Watch

TV: beIN SPORTS (US & Canada), beIN SPORTS En Español (US & Canada - Spanish), Sony ESPN (India), Abono Fútbol, Movistar TV Fútbol, Canal+ (Spain), more

Online: beIN SPORTS CONNECT (US & Canada), FuboTV (US only, free trial + monthly subscription, sign up here), more

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Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid, 2015/16 La Liga: Lineups, Goals, Videos, All Updates

Let us take you on a trip back in time.

Please rewind to just a little over one year ago. It was a Sunday night, at Camp Nou, with a great duel ahead. Atlético Madrid, as always, came to the Catalan capital with one objective: defend and win, as they had done before. Diego Simeone was doing well with a lesser squad in comparison to his opponent, but he was good enough as coach to lead his players to a great win on the road.

The hosts were a complete mess. Just seven days earlier, Barcelona went to the Anoeta for their annual visit to hell against Real Sociedad, and lost again just to follow tradition. There was one problem: the two biggest stars were left on the bench, because both had huge issues with the coach. The biggest star actually got into an argument with the coach, the team lost, and was lost.

The week leading up to that fateful Sunday was full of controversy, strong statements and one promise: if he lost to Atlético, Luis Enrique was going to be fired. The fans hated him, and wanted him out. The same for Lionel Messi, or at least that's what it looked like. The pressure was gigantic, and a loss would set up an unprecedented crisis inside the Catalan giants.

And then the 'MSN' trio was born.

Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez all scored, the rest of the team played a fantastic match and Barça completely destroyed the Colchoneros. One of the most iconic pictures in football history was taken, and one of the most spectacular teams in football history was formed.

All because of that Sunday against Atlético Madrid.

***

Fast forward to today, just a few hours away from another encounter between Barça and Atleti, and think about how much has changed since then. The Blaugrana are now a world-destroying team carrying a 25-game unbeaten streak. The Colchoneros have gone through another roster turnover, formed a better team and are now again a true title contender.

Saturday is going to be so great.

TEAM NEWS

BARCELONA

The Friday training session was full of good news for Luis Enrique and everyone rooting for Barça: Jordi Alba and Arda Turan, who missed the midweek Cup game against Athletic Bilbao, have rejoined the team, practiced normally and are fit for the match. The other injury doubt, Neymar Jr., did recover from the knock on his foot against Bilbao and will not be out of this Saturday's encounter.

Nobody is suspended, which means the squad will be fully available for selection. With Claudio Bravo putting his league gloves on, we should see an outfield lineup with Dani Alves, Gerard Piqué, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba on defense. Sergio Busquets and Andrés Iniesta, who saw very few minutes (none in case of Iniesta) against Bilbao, are certain to be back alongside Ivan Rakitic in midfield.

Up front, the 'MSN' trio will definitely play. Neymar's status is a little doubtful, so maybe his impact won't be the same fighting through pain, but Messi and Suárez are fully healthy and ready to create plenty of chances at the Camp Nou.

It won't be easy, obviously, against the best defense in La Liga. But as this team has proven game after game, they can overcome everything.

ATLÉTICO MADRID

It has been a strange season for Diego Simeone. His men have played exceptionally well, but the defense is still carrying the whole team. Other than the fantastic Antoine Griezmann, no Atleti player has been able to hurt the opposition on offense. Jackson Martínez has failed miserably to live up to the hype and transfer fee involved in his arrival at the Vicente Calderón, and new signing Luciano Vietto is the only one coming close to a reliable partner for Griezmann.

Fernando Torres, A.K.A. "Barça Killer", is a major doubt for Saturday with injury, so that's one less thing the Blaugranes need to worry about.

FORM GUIDE

Barcelona: WWWWWW

Atlético Madrid: WWWDDL

LAST MEETING

Atlético Madrid 1-2 FC Barcelona - September 12th, 2015 - La Liga

LIKELY LINE-UPS

Barcelona (4-3-3): Bravo; Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Messi, Suárez, Neymar

Atlético Madrid (4-4-2): Oblak; Juanfran, Giménez, Godín, Luís; Ñíguez, Fernández, Gabi, Koke; Vietto, Griezmann

MATCH PREDICTION

This will be hard, we know, and I'm not really feeling great about it. It's at Camp Nou and all, but Atlético will come with everything. But... fine, we win 2-1 with a Messi brace.

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Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid, 2015/16 La Liga: Match Preview

Let us take you on a trip back in time.

Please rewind to just a little over one year ago. It was a Sunday night, at Camp Nou, with a great duel ahead. Atlético Madrid, as always, came to the Catalan capital with one objective: defend and win, as they had done before. Diego Simeone was doing well with a lesser squad in comparison to his opponent, but he was good enough as coach to lead his players to a great win on the road.

The hosts were a complete mess. Just seven days earlier, Barcelona went to the Anoeta for their annual visit to hell against Real Sociedad, and lost again just to follow tradition. There was one problem: the two biggest stars were left on the bench, because both had huge issues with the coach. The biggest star actually got into an argument with the coach, the team lost, and was lost.

The week leading up to that fateful Sunday was full of controversy, strong statements and one promise: if he lost to Atlético, Luis Enrique was going to be fired. The fans hated him, and wanted him out. The same for Lionel Messi, or at least that's what it looked like. The pressure was gigantic, and a loss would set up an unprecedented crisis inside the Catalan giants.

And then the 'MSN' trio was born.

Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez all scored, the rest of the team played a fantastic match and Barça completely destroyed the Colchoneros. One of the most iconic pictures in football history was taken, and one of the most spectacular teams in football history was formed.

All because of that Sunday against Atlético Madrid.

***

Fast forward to today, just a few hours away from another encounter between Barça and Atleti, and think about how much has changed since then. The Blaugrana are now a world-destroying team carrying a 25-game unbeaten streak. The Colchoneros have gone through another roster turnover, formed a better team and are now again a true title contender.

Saturday is going to be so great.

TEAM NEWS

BARCELONA

The Friday training session was full of good news for Luis Enrique and everyone rooting for Barça: Jordi Alba and Arda Turan, who missed the midweek Cup game against Athletic Bilbao, have rejoined the team, practiced normally and are fit for the match. The other injury doubt, Neymar Jr., did recover from the knock on his foot against Bilbao and will not be out of this Saturday's encounter.

Nobody is suspended, which means the squad will be fully available for selection. With Claudio Bravo putting his league gloves on, we should see an outfield lineup with Dani Alves, Gerard Piqué, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba on defense. Sergio Busquets and Andrés Iniesta, who saw very few minutes (none in case of Iniesta) against Bilbao, are certain to be back alongside Ivan Rakitic in midfield.

Up front, the 'MSN' trio will definitely play. Neymar's status is a little doubtful, so maybe his impact won't be the same fighting through pain, but Messi and Suárez are fully healthy and ready to create plenty of chances at the Camp Nou.

It won't be easy, obviously, against the best defense in La Liga. But as this team has proven game after game, they can overcome everything.

ATLÉTICO MADRID

It has been a strange season for Diego Simeone. His men have played exceptionally well, but the defense is still carrying the whole team. Other than the fantastic Antoine Griezmann, no Atleti player has been able to hurt the opposition on offense. Jackson Martínez has failed miserably to live up to the hype and transfer fee involved in his arrival at the Vicente Calderón, and new signing Luciano Vietto is the only one coming close to a reliable partner for Griezmann.

Fernando Torres, A.K.A. "Barça Killer", is a major doubt for Saturday with injury, so that's one less thing the Blaugranes need to worry about.

FORM GUIDE

Barcelona: WWWWWW

Atlético Madrid: WWWDDL

LAST MEETING

Atlético Madrid 1-2 FC Barcelona - September 12th, 2015 - La Liga

LIKELY LINE-UPS

Barcelona (4-3-3): Bravo; Alves, Piqué, Mascherano, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta; Messi, Suárez, Neymar

Atlético Madrid (4-4-2): Oblak; Juanfran, Giménez, Godín, Luís; Ñíguez, Fernández, Gabi, Koke; Vietto, Griezmann

MATCH PREDICTION

This will be hard, we know, and I'm not really feeling great about it. It's at Camp Nou and all, but Atlético will come with everything. But... fine, we win 2-1 with a Messi brace.

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Jordi Alba, Arda Turan rejoin team training, set to return for Atlético Madrid match

Great news for Barcelona as the Blaugrana prepare for a gigantic La Liga encounter with Atlético Madrid.

Full-back Jordi Alba, who missed the last ten days -- or three matches -- with a hamstring injury, and midfielder Arda Turan, who missed the midweek Cup game against Athletic Bilbao with a fever, both rejoined the team's training session on Thursday and Friday in preparation for the Camp Nou match against the Colchoneros. The two practiced normally in both days, without setbacks in Alba's case especially, and are available for selection for Saturday's key fixture.

The only key doubt for Saturday is Neymar Jr., who left the pitch after the Bilbao game with a knock on his right foot. Tests revealed no injury, but it was a tough knock to deal with. He did plenty of treatment and practiced with his teammates, but there is no official word yet on his status for the Atleti game. Given the magnitude of the match, however, it is hard to picture Neymar not playing through some pain in his foot.

Coach Luis Enrique will certainly be happy to see that his squad is healthy and available for the biggest match of the season so far.

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FC Barcelona News: 29 January 2016; Barça continue training for Atlético Madrid, draw Valencia in Copa del Rey semi-finals

FC Barcelona to face Valencia in Copa del Rey semi-finals | FC Barcelona

The first leg will be at the Camp Nou next Wednesday or Thursday, and one week later, the sides will meet again at Mestalla to decide who’ll be going to the final, where the winner of the other semi between Sevilla and Celta awaits.

Arda Turan shares his thoughts on 'special' game against Atlético | FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan is set to take on his former club Atlético Madrid on Saturday (4.00pm CET) when the two sides go head-to-head at Camp Nou, and so the Turkish star spoke to Barça TV about his feelings going into the match.

When and where to see FC Barcelona v Atlético Madrid | FC Barcelona

A huge top of the table clash awaits between the winners of the last two editions of La Liga. It's a 4.00pm CET kick-off local time, but when does it start where you live? Here's the answer!

Neymar Jr: Atlético Madrid match is like a final | FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona take on Atlético Madrid in a top of the table clash on Saturday (4pm CET) and Neymar Jr is well aware of the threat Diego Simeone’s side pose. As both sides sit joint-top of the table, outright leadership in La Liga is at stake, which is why the Brazilian superstar believes that "the match against Atlético is like a final".

Final session before Atlético Madrid | FC Barcelona

On a chilly and overcast Friday morning, FC Barcelona worked out for the last time before the big game against Atlético Madrid at the Camp Nou on Saturday at 4.00pm CET. 16 hores). Luis Enrique gathered his players at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper to make the final preparations for the match between the sides that are currently joint top of La Liga, although Barça have the advantage of a game in hand at Sporting Gijón.

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Copa del Rey 2015/16 Draw, Results: Barcelona to face Valencia in semi-final

The road to the Copa del Rey Final is set.

The Spanish Federation took the time on Friday morning to put the four remaining teams in the Cup together for a quick draw of the competition's semifinals. With Sevilla, Celta Vigo and Valencia on the pot, there was no easy opponent for Barcelona to face.

Somehow, the draw was kind. Barça will face the struggling Valencia, who had a tough time to eliminate La Liga relegation candidates Las Palmas in the quarter-finals. The team coached by Manchester United legend Gary Neville has gone through giant problems in the Spanish League, yet to win under their new coach. Despite a strong, talented squad, Los Che are in the bottom half of the table and almost eliminated from Champions League contention.

However, as a recent league game at the Mestalla showed us, The Bats will give the Blaugrana a really tough time in the semifinals, especially because they will play the second and decisive leg at home, meaning that Barça will need to build a strong advantage at Camp Nou to avoid an upset.

The semi-finals start next Wednesday in the Catalan capital, with the second leg in Valéncia on February 10th.

Full results of the draw:

Barcelona vs Valencia

Sevilla vs Celta Vigo

I'm missing Real Madrid on the draw. Where are they?

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FC Barcelona News: 28 January 2016; Barça Advance to Copa del Rey Semi-Final, Neymar Fined for Unpaid Taxes

FC Barcelona knock out Athletic for yet another semi-final appearance in the Copa del Rey | FC Barcelona
Seat edges were invented for games like these. FC Barcelona spent over 40 minutes in an uncharacteristically precarious position but got three second half goals to knock Athletic Club Bilbao out of the Copa del Rey by a score of 3–1, 5–2 on aggregate, and qualify for the semi-finals for the sixth consecutive year.

FC Barcelona into Copa del Rey semi-finals for sixth straight year | FC Barcelona
With a 3-1 win versus Athletic Club on Wednesday night, FC Barcelona now have a ticket to the final four of the competition for the sixth consecutive year and the 55th time overall, and move one step from a second straight appearance in the Final after winning the title last year.

Focus turns from Athletic to Atlético | FC Barcelona
With no time to celebrate qualifying for the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey for the sixth consecutive season, FC Barcelona have already begin preparing for their next challenge — this Saturday's 4.00pm La Liga match versus Atlético Madrid at Camp Nou. The game pits the league's top two teams, both tied with 48 points, although FCB are ahead on goal differential.

Luis Enrique: We found the answers when we needed them | FC Barcelona
Luis Enrique’s praise for his own team's performance also extended to their rivals who caused the blaugranes more than a scare when they took an early lead in the game thanks to Iñaki Williams’ 12th minute opener. "It’s worthy of praise what both sides have done," said the coach before adding that the game had been "very demanding" with two distinct halves.

Luis Suárez: 'We played much better in the second half' | FC Barcelona
The Catalans will be in the tournament's final four for the sixth straight year after beating Athletic Club 3-1 in the second leg of the quarter-finals at the Camp Nou. Barça go through 5–2 on aggregate. The key play of the game was Luis Suarez's goal in the 53rd minute that revived a Barça team that hit a rough patch for the better part of the first half

Barcelona's Neymar fined for unpaid taxes in Brazil - ESPN FC
Barcelona star Neymar and his father have been ordered by court in Brazil court to pay €100,000 as a fine for unpaid taxes during 2007-08, according to a report. Neymar is expected to appeal, his lawyers told Brazil site UOL on Wednesday.

Suarez hits 30 goals before Messi Neymar and Ronaldo - ESPN FC
Luis Suarez's goal for Barcelona on Wednesday night saw him become the first player across the top five leagues in Europe to reach 30 goals in all competitions. Suarez scored in the 53rd minute in a 3-1 win for Barca over Athletic Bilbao that booked the club's place in the Copa del Rey semifinals.

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen: Barcelona struggled against Athletic - Goal.com
Marc-Andre ter Stegen has admitted Athletic Bilbao caused Barcelona problems in the second leg of Wednesday's Copa del Rey quarter-final tie. Copa holders Barca took a 2-1 lead into the game at Camp Nou but that advantage was wiped out by Inaki Williams' opener.

Who is leading the race for the Golden Shoe? | Sky Sports
Luis Suarez became the first player in Europe's top five leagues to hit the 30-goal mark with his strike in Barcelona's 3-1 Copa del Rey win over Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday night. However, the former Liverpool ace is only currently third in the running for the Golden Shoe, awarded to the leading marksman across Europe.

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La Liga News: 28 January 2016; Celta Vigo Dump Atletico Madrid from Copa del Rey, Chelsea's Charly Musonda Joins Real Betis

Celta Vigo upset Atletico in Copa del Rey quarterfinals | FOX Sports
Antoine Griezmann did give Atletico a first half lifeline when he tied the match at 1-1 and substitute Angel Correa scored with 10 minutes to play, but this was an Atletico side too often lacking in attacking rhythm once again. Perhaps they were too aware that they must face Barcelona in a top of the table La Liga showdown Saturday at the Camp Nou, but boss Diego Simeone played a full-strength side as he chased a spot in the semifinals.

Gabi wary of Copa impact | Football Espana
Gabi insists Atletico Madrid will face Barcelona with the intention of winning but is concerned for a Copa del Rey exit hangover. Atletico were eliminated from the quarter-finals by Celta Vigo with a 3-2 defeat at Vicente Calderon just days before travelling to Camp Nou as La Liga’s top two meet.

Official: Thievy Bifouma joins Reims on loan | Get French Football News
Reims have confirmed the loan signing of French attacker Thievy Bifouma on loan from Spanish side Espanyol until the end of the season. This is the player’s fourth consecutive loan spell, having spent time at Las Palmas, West Brom, Almeira and Granada respectively.

Thomas, Albiol on Valencia list? | Football Espana
Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey and Napoli’s Spain international Raul Albiol are reportedly transfer targets for Valencia. Super Deporte say sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch has been in Madrid to meet with agents, representatives and intermediaries, holing up in a hotel in the capital and then attending the Atletico Madrid-Celta Vigo Copa del Rey tie on Wednesday.

Zidane must learn from Ancelotti mistakes and rotate Madrid - ESPN FC
After only three matches in charge of Real Madrid's dressing room, it's perhaps still early to infer definitive conclusions about Zinedine Zidane's sources of inspiration. However, judging by his lineup decisions and some of his comments during news conferences, it's already obvious that Carlo Ancelotti is his nearest benchmark.

Jose Miguel Monje Carrillo to run for RFEF presidency - ESPN FC
Murcia football federation chief Jose Miguel Monje Carrillo says he will be a candidate if current Spanish FA (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar is barred from running for re-election, while maintaining that he expects an investigation into Villar's running of the FA to come to nothing.

Charly Musonda set to be loaned to Real Betis - sources - ESPN FC
Chelsea midfielder Charly Musonda is poised to join Real Betis on loan, sources have told ESPN FC. Musonda, 19, hinted in December he could be open to a loan move in January after growing increasingly frustrated with his lack of opportunities at Stamford Bridge.

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FC Barcelona 3-1 Athletic Bilbao: Match Review

A look back at Barcelona's progression in the Copa del Rey thanks to a 3-1 win at the Camp Nou and 4-2 aggregate win.

Athletic Bilbao seem to have become the Real Madrid of this season in the way that Barça are never more than a few weeks before another game against them. This game was the sixth meeting this season and the third meeting in January alone. This time it was the second leg of the Copa del Rey quarter final tie between the pair and Barcelona went into this game with a 2-1 advantage.

	Barcelona	Athletic Bilbao
Possession	65%	35%
Total Shots	18	12
Shots on Target	9	3
Corners	9	7
Fouls	10	18
Offsides	3	2
Yellow Cards	1	3
Red Cards	0	0

This meant, the visitors to the Camp Nou this evening where needing at least two goals if they were to progress and it was they who started on the front foot. Barcelona, playing a much changed eleven, tried to wrestle their way back into the game and it was this physicality that saw the ball in the net for the first time. A swinging corner from Lionel Messi found Thomas Vermaelen in the box and he nodded the ball goal-wards. However, the referee deemed that Vermaelen's use of his arms was too much and signalled a free kick.

Ten minutes had passed and it was now Barça who were on top but against the run of play, the away side struck first. The ball fell to Aritz Aduriz and his pass was only bettered by the run of Iñaki Williams. The man who has troubled Barça in the past peeled away from Jeremy Mathieu and connected with the through ball from Aduriz. The 21 year old calmly took the ball past Marc-André ter Stegen and then passed it into the net.

With a midfield three of Javier Mascherano, Sergi Roberto and Ivan Rakitić, the team seemed to be lacking creativity in the middle and the front three was becoming increasingly disjointed from the  rest of the team.

Bilbao, though, were not experiencing this problem and were pushing for the goal that would see them go ahead in the tie. Aduriz, a constant thorn in Barça's side, came close and Markel Susaeta fluffed a kick from yards away.

Barcelona were clawing a way into the game primarily through Neymar. Twice he clashed with Aymeric Laporte in the penalty area but both incidents would've been harsh to award a spot kick. A couple of minutes later though and Athletic were lucky to not be reduced to ten. Neymar had broken clean though and Balenziaga was forced to bodycheck the Brazilian. As Balenziaga was the last man it was surprising to see the referee produce a yellow card with the only reasoning being that Neymar was possibly going away from goal.

The resultant free kick from Lionel Messi curled over the bar and the teams went in at the break with Athletic up on the night but level in the tie.

While this game was going on, Atlético Madrid were having a torrid time in the capital against Celta Vigo. The game ended 3-2, knocking Diego Simeone's men out in the process, making the winners of the Camp Nou tie strong favourites to go on and lift the trophy.

As it stood, Barça were going through but being one goal away from elimination is never comfortable so the team started the second half in search for the equaliser. That search didn't last long as eight minutes after the restart, Barça were level. Sergio Roberto played a perfectly timed pass into the path of Messi. The Argentine took the ball down the left flank before drilling it across goal. Rakitić flung a leg at it but made no contact which turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the unmarked Luis Suárez was arriving at the back post. He rifled the ball into the far corner and Barcelona reclaimed control of the tie.

The Catalans were still lacking fluidity on the field so the introduction of Sergio Busquets in the 70th minute was a welcome sight.

Barça were searching for the next goal to put the tie to bed and with ten minutes to go, they got it. A Neymar corner was met by Gerard Piqué's head and it required the fingertips of Iago Herrerín to push it past the post. However 40 seconds later, Piqué made no mistake. Rakitić found Dani Alves who crossed the ball towards Piqué. The central defender rose and fired his header past Herrerín to make it 2-1. The team were now 4-2 up on aggregate and cruising towards the final whistle.

With seconds on the clock, Neymar made it 3-1. Some great footwork took him past the defenders and gave him a sight of goal. He drilled the effort into the top corner and the game finished 3-1. Barça will now face any of Celta Vigo, Mirandés, Sevilla, Las Palmas or Valencia.

Roll Call Info
Total comments	824
Total commenters	55
Commenter list	Akshit Goyal, AllAboutStyle, Anders Thomassen, AngusLB, Anirudh_Kul, Ashraf Arefin, BarcaGH, Barca_24, CBo, ChiraqBoss, Daxterflames, Delano Heerkens, DesiCule, Eddie Pundell, ElasticFan, FCBMSN, HardenTuranAKAFeartheBEARD, JordanBelfort, JordiBalboa, KiwiBarca, Lapulga, MayteeA, My Name Is Dennis, NamesTroyResideInTheDMV, Petter Premberg, Piyush_, Ragnar_Lothbrok, Ruy Diaz, SafaaLeon62, Som-i-Serem, Steven Cordero, TheGodfather21, Trifitology, Yuro_Doosh, ZTAhmad, avyator, craig00000, culegun, dewoul, el_uruguayo, feeya7, footballfordoze, godnkls, golazzooo, henderick.mitchell, istiaque, joe259, ledhe, messism, no.imagination90, saltylures, smatiisc, syredeathtrooper, thenrick, vireyda
Story URLs	http://ift.tt/1nPyw0j

#	Commenter	# Comments
1	Delano Heerkens	69
2	Piyush_	69
3	NamesTroyResideInTheDMV	58
4	Yuro_Doosh	58
5	Trifitology	52
6	JordanBelfort	39
7	Som-i-Serem	39
8	Ashraf Arefin	37
9	vireyda	33
10	AllAboutStyle	31
11	avyator	30
12	thenrick	29
13	KiwiBarca	25
14	Anirudh_Kul	25
15	godnkls	23
16	MayteeA	23
17	feeya7	22
18	saltylures	19
19	syredeathtrooper	16
20	no.imagination90	14
21	Anders Thomassen	13
22	henderick.mitchell	12
23	AngusLB	9
24	BarcaGH	7
25	dewoul	7
26	footballfordoze	6
27	Ruy Diaz	5
28	Steven Cordero	5
29	FCBMSN	4
30	TheGodfather21	4
31	My Name Is Dennis	4
32	messism	3
33	Eddie Pundell	3
34	Barca_24	3
35	ElasticFan	3
36	CBo	2
37	Akshit Goyal	2
38	Daxterflames	2
39	craig00000	2
40	JordiBalboa	2
41	smatiisc	1
42	Petter Premberg	1
43	ChiraqBoss	1
44	culegun	1
45	ZTAhmad	1
46	el_uruguayo	1
47	Ragnar_Lothbrok	1
48	SafaaLeon62	1
49	joe259	1
50	golazzooo	1
51	ledhe	1
52	DesiCule	1
53	Lapulga	1
54	istiaque	1
55	HardenTuranAKAFeartheBEARD	1

# Recs	Commenter	Comment Link
4	FCBMSN	so every time we play Bilbao it is going to be revenge? lol
4	KiwiBarca	Guys Chill THIS IS BARCA
3	KiwiBarca	Seems like this all of a sudden
2	Delano Heerkens	Ter Stegen....
2	Delano Heerkens	No..it Dani Alves!!
2	Som-i-Serem	Disappointed with the crowd.
2	Ashraf Arefin	Just intimadating Bilbao
2	vireyda	Somebody put up a batsignal or something and Get Xavi Back.
2	AllAboutStyle	Just ignore these rumors
2	Piyush_	made someone do a Boateng
1	JordanBelfort	always have an eye on valencia. they produce left backs like apple produces iphones
1	AllAboutStyle	come on
1	el_uruguayo	It's called a left footed volley
1	Piyush_	I almost thought Mascherano might score there
1	Som-i-Serem	Masche on the move!
1	Piyush_	Roberto is the definition of b2b right now
1	Anirudh_Kul	Masche imitating Messi there
1	Trifitology	Mathieu with the save, lol
1	AllAboutStyle	It is just not the natural position for him
1	NamesTroyResideInTheDMV	Dani aside from maybe 1 or 2 times has made great play getting out of the back
1	Yuro_Doosh	I was on ManagingMadrid during the last Clasico for shits and giggles
1	Anders Thomassen	THE REAL CF
1	MayteeA	He didn't give the ball to the keeper
1	NamesTroyResideInTheDMV
1	godnkls	2nd half was beutiful
1	MayteeA	That's why they hate him so much
1	Piyush_	someone stepped on his boot
1	Trifitology	The shot from his boot. Lit it on fire, lol
1	syredeathtrooper	2nd half was far from ugly
1	Piyush_	It was so fast paced, this was an exciting game, full of highs and lows
1	Yuro_Doosh	I'm saying one for his health, and one to ward off evil spirits from the capitol
1	Piyush_	simply disrespectful
1	Trifitology	Busi, lol
1	JordanBelfort	alves with the assist, pique with the goal... two defenders deciding the game
1	BarcaGH	Roberto
1	saltylures	Gingersnaps with the block!!!!
1	NamesTroyResideInTheDMV	We'll all forget that from tackle from Alves
1	MayteeA	Haha Messi
1	Delano Heerkens	Messi is showing why he's ONLY interest in team trophies
1	Piyush_	Alves assist
1	Som-i-Serem	Great pass.
1	AllAboutStyle	It is a shame
1	BarcaGH	they score soooo early
1	Trifitology	Relax, ppl...
1	henderick.mitchell	Not acceptable... We are NOT REAL MADRID...
1	AllAboutStyle	Typically, the ones whistling are just small portion of fans
1	JordanBelfort	neymar should JUST SHOOOOOTTTT and stop trusting the referees to give him a penalty
1	Delano Heerkens	Mathieu plays well at CB
1	KiwiBarca	WOW WTF come on lads focus
1	Ashraf Arefin	Now we have to attack! Game on........
1	henderick.mitchell	Check this out
1	NamesTroyResideInTheDMV	Dani's metrosexual cousin
1	Delano Heerkens	Hey boys
1	Trifitology	We need him...
1	Piyush_	Roberto kept Inaki in his pocket
1	Delano Heerkens	Bro..
1	NamesTroyResideInTheDMV	Don't know why, he's been the only solid one back there
1	godnkls	Messi is far better
1	Piyush_	Roberto made a great pass to Messi
1	Anders Thomassen	SUAREZ!!!!!!!!!
1	Ashraf Arefin	Come Raki you knew that was not possible
1	Yuro_Doosh	AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
1	AllAboutStyle	CDR goal king Munir scores a hat trick from bench?
1	Som-i-Serem	Ha Ha Mathieu dribbling there
1	NamesTroyResideInTheDMV	They can't keep up their press any longer
1	Yuro_Doosh	It ain't bragging
1	Yuro_Doosh	no
1	Delano Heerkens	Messi all day.....
1	Piyush_	Messi has been taking great free kicks, I'd rather have him take them
1	JordanBelfort	neymar WHY THE F..... ARE YOU WAITING SO LONG. JUST SHOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTT
1	Barca_24	Now's the time for one of Luchos great speeches
1	Anirudh_Kul	Not over Iniesta like you said though..
1	Anirudh_Kul	He's really good.
1	Ashraf Arefin	Lucho's Pep-talk is working!

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